Sewing-machine



G. W. NELSON.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.24. 1919.

1,357,468, Patented Nov. 2, 1920. 6 1 .1

l/VVE/VTOR HIS ATTORNEY 30 to the under side of the work.

UNITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE.

GEORGE W. NELSON, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SEWING-MACHINE.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed September 24, 1919. Serial 'No. 325,887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NELSON,

a citizen of the United States, and resident at separated points in the work, as for example, in button sewing machines, tag sewing machines, etc. In chain-stitch machines l of this class it is customary to sever or break the thread on the completion of each group or series of stitches. This is accomplished in the button sewing machines disclosed in my prior Patents Nos. 1,252,93Land 1,288,652, granted Jan. 8, 1918, and Dec. 24, 1918, respectively, by means comprising a threadrestraining device which is operated upon the completion of a group of stitches to clamp and hold the thread, and a pivoted work-holder which is adapted'to be moved in a direction to produce a strain on the thread held by said thread-restraining device and efl'ect a-breaking of the same close In these prior machines, the button clamping members of the work-holder are opened horizontally to permit of the insertion and release of the work. In the machine of my present invention, which is particularly adapted for sewing on tags, the work-holder comprises two work-engaging members which open vertically for like purposes. To provide means for causing such form of work-holder to properly cooperate with a thread-restraining device in the threadbreaking operation has been the main object of my present invention. This object I secure by the novel construction, arrangement,

and combination of parts embodying my invention as illustrated in-the accompanying drawings, in whicha Figure 1 is a rear side elevatlompartly in section, of the needle end of a chainstitch sewing machine equipped with my invention and shows the parts in the positions they occupy during the normal operation of the machine. 1 (N Figs. 2'and 3 are details illustrating the operation of the work-holder 1n its threadbrelaking and work-releasing operations anc Fig. 4 is a detail, in perspective, ofthe thread-restraining device on the face plate of the machine.

Similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several figures'of the drawings. The machine here shown,'aside from the work-holder, is substantially the same as that illustrated in my said prior Patent, No.

l,252,931,'to which reference may be had.

It embodies a main frame comprising upper and lower portions, 2 and 3, suitably connected and adapted for the support of the various parts of the operating mechanism. Journaled in the lower portion 3 is the main shaft 4 carrying at its front end a chain stitch looper 7. For cooperation with this looper in the stitch-forming operation is the usual thread-carrying needle 8, which is carried by the needle-bar 9 mounted for vertical reciprocation in the upper portion 2 of the frame. On the lower portion 3 of the" frame adjacent said needle and looper is the work-holder, indicated generally by H, which is adapted to be operated by any usual means to properly present the work to the stitching mechanism. v

As hereinbefore stated, machines of this type are operated to make a series or group of stitches, as for example in sewing on a tag, after which the machine'is brought to a stop, usually by an automatic stop mechanism. On the stopping of the machine the operator then usually performs the operation of severing or breaking the thread by manually controlled means. This operation is effected by first clamping the thread to restrain or hold it against movement and then moving the work-holder in a directionupward as here shownto strain the occurs "and 53, the former of which is fixed tothe face-plate 10 of'the machine, while the latter is illustrated as forming part of an angle lever 54 pivoted in a stud 5 5 on sa d face-plate. This lever 54; is operatively connected with an actuating rod 46 supported in suitable bearings on the machine frame for. longitudinal sliding movement. The rod 46 is automatically controlled through suitable connections from the main shaft whereby it will act upon the completion of a group of stitches to cause the pivoted jaw 53 to cooperate with the stationary jaw 52 and clamp the thread t therebetween. As the particular means for actuating the rod 46 does not form a part of my present invention, and as it is fully disclosed in my aforesaid Patent, No. 1,252,931, I have not illustrated or described the same herein.

The work-holder here shown comprises a pair of work-engaging members, 75 and 76, which are mounted at their rear ends on a pivot 77. As a means for normally holding this work-holder in'its lowered" operative position wit-h the upper member in clamping relation to the lower one, a vertical post or stud 78 is attached to the upper member and has a shoulder 79 thereon, in the form of a vertically adjustable nut, between which and the. under side of the over-hanging arm 2 is interposed a spring 80, which acts to exert a downward pressure on the workholder. I

As a means for raising the work-holder, that is, swinging the front or work-holding end of the same upward about its pivot 77, the upper member 75 is connected by a suitable connection, such as the chain 81, with the usual operating lever 82, which latter is actuated from a treadle or other like device. Now, in order that the lower member 76 of the work-holder may be caused to move with the upper one when it is being raised, whereby the engaged work may be moved upward to strain and break the threadit being understood that the thread extends from said work down around the looper 7 and from thence upward to the restraining device 52-53a suitable latch is provided for connecting the lower member with the upper one. This latch comprises a pin 83 which is pivoted to the lower member at 84 and extends upward through aslot 85 in the upper member, the same being provided with a notch'86 in one side thereof for latching engagement with the upper member at one edge of its said .slot 85, as shown in Fig. 1. A pull spring 8?, connecting at one end with the post 78 on the upper member and at its opposite end with the latch pin 83, serves to normally hold the latch in its position of latching engagement with said upper member. IVith the lower member of the work-holder thus latched to the upper one, it will be clear that both members, with the engaged work, will be movedupward together. I'Vhen they have been raised suiiiciently to effect a breaking of the thread, it is desirable that the two members of the work-holder should be opened to release the work, whereby the.

latter may be either removed or shifted to a new position for the next sewing operat1on.' To permit such release of the work immediately followingthe breaking of the thread, I have provided means for automatically releasing the latch at such time, whereby the lower member of the work-holder will move downward from its position of cooperation with the upper one and release the work. Thls automatlc releasing means comprises a stationary arm 88 suitably at-- tached to the upper arm of the frame and having one end thereof, 89, extending into a position at the rear side of the latch pin for engaging and operating the same as follows: When the work-holder is swung holder moves in the arc of a circle described from its pivot 77. This results in the disengagement of the latch from the upper work-holder member 7 5 at a time following the breaking of the thread, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the latch is just disengaged from the upper Work-holder member. Thereupon the lower member 76 drops to release the work clamped between it and the upper member, as shown in Fig. 3. For causing a quick separation of the work holder members following the release of the latch, an expansion spring 90 is interposed between said members as shown. Subsequently, upon the lowering of the upper member 75 to its clamping position, the latch pin automatically reengages the same under the action of the spring 87, as shown in Fig. 1.

Vh'at I claim is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with the stitch-forming mechanism and a thread-restraining device, of a work-holder comprising two work-engaging members, means for moving said members in a direction to break the thread held by said thread-restraining device, and means for automatically releasing one of said members from coiiperation with the other fol- K members,

comprising two pivoted work-engaging members, means for raising said members to break the thread held by said thread-restraining device, and means operative during the upward movement of the members to automatically release the lower one from cooperation with the upper one following the breaking of the thread.

4:. In. a sewing machine, the combination with the stitch-forming mechanism and a thread-restraining device, of a work-holder comprising two work-engaging members, means for moving said members in a direction to break the thread held by said thread-restraining device, a latch connecting said members for causing them to move together in their thread-breaking movement, and means for automatically releasing said latch following the breaking of the thread. I

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with the stitch-forming mechanism and a thread-restraining device, of a work-holder comprising upper and lower work-engaging a latch normally connecting said members, operating means connecting with the upper member for raising both members to break the thread held by said thread-restraining device, and means for automatically releasing said latch following the breaking of the thread.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination with the stitch-forming mechanism and a thread-restraining device, of a work-holder comprising upper and lower work-engaging members, a latch pin pivoted to the lower member, means yieldingly holding said pin in latching engagement with the upper member, operating means connecting with the upper member for raising both members to break the thread held by said thread-restraining device, and means for automatically releasing said latch pin from ngagement with the upper member following the breaking of the thread.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with the stitch-forming mechanism and a threadmestraining device, of a work-holder comprising upper and lower work-engaging members, a latch pin pivoted to the lower member, means yieldingly holding said pin in latching engagement with the upper mem ber, operating means for raising both members to break the thread held by said threadrestraining device, and a stationary member engaging said latch pin during the upward movement of the work-holder mem bers and operative to release the same from engagement with the upper member followin the breaking of the thread.

igned at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Uhio, this 3rd day of September, A. D. 1919.

GEORGE W. NELSON. 

